Generation of hypoimmunogenic T cells from genetically engineered allogeneic human induced pluripotent stem cells.

Abstract

Avoiding the immune rejection of transplanted T cells is central to the success of allogeneic cancer immunotherapies. One solution to protecting T-cell grafts from immune rejection involves the deletion of allogeneic factors and of factors that activate cytotoxic immune cells. Here we report the generation of hypoimmunogenic cancer-antigen-specific T cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) lacking β₂-microglobulin, the class-II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) transactivator and the natural killer (NK) cell-ligand poliovirus receptor CD155, and expressing single-chain MHC class-I antigen E. In mouse models of CD20-expressing leukaemia or lymphoma, differentiated T cells expressing a CD20 chimeric antigen receptor largely escaped recognition by NKG2A⁺ and DNAM-1⁺ NK cells and by CD8 and CD4 T cells in the allogeneic recipients while maintaining anti-tumour potency. Hypoimmunogenic iPSC-derived T cells may contribute to the creation of off-the-shelf T cell immunotherapies.